Review on the applications of atomic force microscopy imaging in proteins

Protein is an important component of human tissues and cells, which is closely related to various life activities. Therefore, studying the conformation of proteins can not only provide better analytic insight into its interactions with biomacromolecules, but also contribute to the biological and medical research. In recent years, the atomic force microscopy with excellent capacity shines brilliantly in obtaining information of biological samples, especially in the research of proteins. Herein, we highlight the advances and main contributions in the understanding of proteins conformation and its interactions with biomacromolecules by atomic force microscopy imaging technology. In addition, we have found that the relevant information of a single investigated object could be directly measured and obtained by atomic force microscopy, which avoids the indirectness and complexity of data analysis. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that this work will be conducive to promoting the development of atomic force microscopy in the research field of protein imaging, and promoting its further applications in immunology, medicine and biology.